Silicon Valley, CA (SFF PR) — This summer, Digital Solid State Propulsion’s microthruster will be deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpinSat microsatellite, a project of the Naval Research Laboratory, in a partnership with Digital Solid State Propulsion (DSSP), Inc.

The missions’ objective is to demonstrate and characterize the on-orbit performance of the ESP (Electrically-controlled Solid Propellant) technology in space. This is an enabling technology for the small satellite community that will allow small satellites to perform in-space maneuvers. In 2012, DSSP won 2nd place and a cash prize of $10,000 at the Newspace Business Plan Competition (BPC), as part of the Space Frontier Foundations’ annual NewSpace Conference.

After being named finalists, the team from DSSP participated in the competitions’ 2-day Boot Camp to help refine and expand their investor pitch. Their final presentation to a panel of industry and investment professionals earned the company the 2nd place award.

“The Newspace Business Plan Competition really allowed us to highlight our new technology to the whole entrepreneurial space community at once and have them take notice,” said Wayne Sawka, CEO of DSSP Inc. “Participating in the BPC bootcamp was of particular value, as our younger engineers learned from experts, what it would take to grow and move our business forward. We would highly recommend the competition to any NewSpace company as it was invaluable to our growth and success.”

The Space Frontier Foundation and the NewSpace Business Plan Competition team would like to congratulate DSSP on this momentous achievement, and wish them many more in the future. DSSP’s high performance electrically controlled solid propellant replaces the 50-year old technologies that were, until now, still the industry standard. This type of disruptive technology is exactly what the NewSpace Business Plan Competition aims to encourage, support and promote.

“The success of Digital Solid State Propulsion is yet another great example of how the Newspace Business Plan Competition is changing the economic sphere of space, one entrepreneurial company at a time,” said Space Frontier Foundation President, James Pura. “We embrace the entrepreneurial spirit that nothing is sacred, and anything can be accomplished with enough passion and effort. DSSP Inc.’s recent success is a great example of what can be achieved.”

The NewSpace BPC is the world’s first professional business plan competition focused on the growing NewSpace industry. The competition aims to assist and showcase new startups and expanding firms who can demonstrate both the ability to provide a return on investment and the capacity to contribute to opening the space frontier.